The present invention relates generally to the field of data entry, and more particularly, to a speech recognition assisted data entry system and method.
Modern businesses and other organizations often employ a call center staffed with a group of call center agents to communicate with persons regarding the business or organization. For example, a person wishing to place a product order with a business may place a telephone call to the business and be directed to the call center so that one of the call center agents may record information from the person necessary to complete the product order transaction. Additionally, call centers may be used as a central source of information for persons seeking additional data about the organization. Call center agents may also be used to solicit business by placing telephone calls to potential customers, such as in telemarketing.
Call center agents generally retrieve information about the business or organization using a computer or other information source. Call center agents also generally input caller data directly into a data entry application displayed on a computer. For example, a caller""s name, address, and credit card number may be directly input to order application software displayed on the computer. Additionally, call center agents may use the computer to access data previously received from a caller. The caller data input to the data entry application may then be transferred to or accessed by other appropriate departments within the business or organization for further processing.
Speech recognition applications may also be used to assist data collection from a caller. For example, speech recognition engines may be used as an automated information directory. The caller may be requested to speak a particular word or enter a particular digit from a telephone keypad to access various departments of a business. The speech recognition application may also be used to gather and record information from the caller prior to connecting the caller to the call center agent. For example, a caller may be requested to speak or enter an account number, the caller""s last name, or the last name of a person the caller is trying to contact. When the caller is connected to the call center agent, the recorded caller information may be displayed to the call center agent to assist the call center agent in further assisting the caller.
However, data collection and interaction between a caller and a call center agent suffers several disadvantages. For example, after initial information is received from a caller, the caller may be forwarded to a call center agent to further define or receive additional information from the caller. However, the caller generally does not have the option to convey information using a telephone keypad because the call center agent cannot distinguish DTMF tones from a telephone keypad. Additionally, further information received from the caller must be written or typed into a computer application by the call center agent. Entering the additional information may be tedious, time consuming, and monotonous for a call center agent over the course of the average business work day. Thus, over time, the accuracy of the information input by the call center agent may decrease.
Accordingly, a need has arisen for a speech recognition assisted data entry system and method that provides greater accuracy and flexibility than prior data entry systems. The present invention provides a speech recognition assisted data entry system and method that addresses shortcomings of prior systems and methods.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a speech recognition assisted data entry system includes a computing system and a speech recognition application operable to run on the computing system. The speech recognition application is operable to receive data from a caller and convert the data to recognizable characters. The system also includes a converted cache operable to store the recognizable characters. The system further includes a set of recognition rules operable to be applied to the recognizable characters in the converted cache to automatically determine the recognizable characters corresponding to a data entry field of a data entry application.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method for speech recognition assisted data entry includes receiving a communication connection with a caller and receiving data from the caller via the communication connection. The method also includes converting the data to recognizable characters using a speech recognition application and storing the recognizable characters in a converted cache. The method further includes applying a set of recognition rules to the recognizable characters stored in the converted cache to automatically determine the recognizable characters corresponding to a data entry field of a data entry application.
The technical advantages of the present invention include providing a speech recognition assisted data entry system that provides greater privacy for the caller when conveying numerical information. For example, according to one aspect of the present invention, a call center agent may activate a speech recognition application to receive requested numerical information from a caller. In response to a request for the numerical information from the call center agent, the caller may use a telephone keypad to input the requested numerical information. The numerical information may be received by the speech recognition application and displayed to the call center agent, thereby allowing the call center agent to input the numerical data into a data collection application.
Another technical advantage of the present invention includes a speech recognition assisted data entry system providing greater efficiency than prior systems. For example, the call center agent may interactively initiate a speech recognition application to input information received from a caller directly into a data collection application. For example, the call center agent may place a curser at a particular location in a display of the data collection application corresponding to requested information from the caller. The call center agent may then activate the speech recognition application to automatically collect and input the information received from the caller into the data collection application.
Another technical advantage of the present invention includes efficient interaction between a caller and a call center agent. For example, the call center agent may activate a speech recognition application to automatically convert data received from the caller to recognizable characters displayed on a computer. A set of recognition rules may be applied to the characters to automatically identify the characters corresponding to particular data entry fields of a data collection application. After the characters have been identified as corresponding to a particular data entry field, the characters may be automatically input into the data entry field or input into the data entry field by the call center agent.